tariff

tariff — noun

1. a charge that a country places on goods arriving from another country across its

1.nounB2
Definition

a charge that a country places on goods arriving from another country across its border, or on goods being sent abroad — used to manage trade or protect local businesses

Example

The government added a 25% tariff on imported steel last year.

tariff + on + imported product

Tariffs on foreign grain were raised to protect farmers across Mexico.

Common collocations
  • impose a tariff
  • raise tariffs
  • lower tariffs
  • remove tariffs
  • import tariff
  • export tariff
  • trade tariff
  • steel tariff
  • tariff barrier
  • tariff rate
Synonyms
  • duty

    Very close synonym, but 'duty' can also apply to legal transactions (e.g. stamp duty) whereas 'tariff' is specifically about trade goods.

  • levy

    A broader term for any imposed tax; 'levy' can apply to income, property, or trade, while 'tariff' is trade-specific.

  • customs

    Refers both to import taxes and the government agency that collects them; 'tariff' names the tax structure itself.

Antonyms
  • subsidy

    A government payment that supports an industry, the opposite of taxing imported goods.

Usage Note

Often used in the plural ('tariffs') when referring broadly to a country's overall system of import taxes.

Common Mistakes

The government raised the tariff on my salary.
The government raised the tariff on imported cars.
Tariff only applies to goods crossing borders, not to personal income.
Tariff and tax mean the same thing.
A tariff is a type of tax, but specifically on goods entering or leaving a country.
Tax is much broader; tariff is limited to cross-border trade.

2. a published list of charges that a hotel asks for rooms, a restaurant for meals,

2.nounB2
Definition

a published list of charges that a hotel asks for rooms, a restaurant for meals, or a utility company for services like gas or electricity supply

Example

The hotel tariff for a double room is printed inside the wardrobe door.

hotel tariff for [room type]

Élise checked the restaurant tariff before ordering a meal for the whole group.

Common collocations
  • hotel tariff
  • room tariff
  • electricity tariff
  • gas tariff
  • mobile tariff
  • published tariff
  • standard tariff
  • summer tariff
Synonyms
  • price list

    More general and widely understood across all English varieties; 'tariff' in this sense is chiefly British.

  • rate card

    Common in advertising and media; a formal list of charges for services.

  • schedule of charges

    More formal; used in legal and utility contexts.

Usage Note

Primarily British English; in American English, 'rate sheet' or 'price list' is more common for this sense.

Common Mistakes

The hotel tariff is the tax you pay when you stay there.
The hotel tariff is the list of room prices, not a tax.
This sense of tariff has nothing to do with government taxes.

3. the specific length of time set by a court as the minimum period a criminal must

3.nounC1
Definition

the specific length of time set by a court as the minimum period a criminal must spend in prison before becoming eligible for parole — especially for serious crimes such as murder

Example

The judge set a minimum tariff of fifteen years for the armed robbery.

minimum tariff of [number] years

Under British law, the tariff is the shortest time a murderer must serve.

Common collocations
  • set a tariff
  • minimum tariff
  • fixed tariff
  • life tariff
  • whole-life tariff
  • custodial tariff
  • reduce a tariff
Synonyms
  • minimum term

    The plain-English equivalent used in modern UK sentencing documents; 'tariff' is the older legal term.

  • sentence

    A broader term covering any court-ordered punishment; 'tariff' specifically means the minimum custodial portion.

Usage Note

Chiefly used in UK sentencing law. Sometimes called the 'minimum term' or 'custodial tariff'. Not to be confused with the US legal term 'mandatory minimum' — the tariff is set by the judge within a range.

Common Mistakes

The court imposed a high tariff on the smuggler.
The court set a high tariff for the smuggler's crime.
Tariff in the legal sense takes the preposition 'for' (not 'on') and refers to the sentence, not a penalty payment.

tariff — verb

Word family

  • tariffed
    adjectiveC1
  • tariffless
    adjectiveC2
  • tariffing
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Duty and tariff both refer to taxes on imported goods, but duty can also apply to legal transactions such as stamp duty on property sales, while tariff consistently refers to a published schedule of border taxes. Customs (plural) refers both to the import taxes themselves and to the government agency that collects them, whereas tariff is the rate structure, not the organisation. Excise is an internal tax on goods produced and sold within a country — for example, excise on alcohol or tobacco — making it distinct from a tariff, which applies only at the border. Levy is the broadest of the four, covering any imposed tax or fee on goods, income, or transactions. Example: 'The government raised tariffs on steel imports' describes a border measure, while 'The excise on cigarettes rose again this year' refers to a purely domestic tax.

duty ↗levy ↗customsexcise ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • impose a tariff
  • raise tariffs
  • lower tariffs
  • remove tariffs
  • introduce tariffs
  • be subject to tariffs
  • exempt from tariffs

Prepositions

Etymology

ArabicItalianFrenchEnglish

Tariff entered English in the late 1500s from French 'tarif' (price list, rate), which came via Italian 'tariffa' from Arabic 'taʿrīf' (notification, definition, making known), derived from the verb 'ʿarrafa' (to make known, to define). The meaning evolved from 'a list of rates' in commerce to specifically 'a government-imposed tax on imports' by the 18th century. The legal sense of 'minimum sentence' developed in 20th-century British sentencing practice, drawing on the idea of a fixed schedule or rate.